HIDDEN GLITCH - Joshua K ( WATTPAD VERSION)

Prologue

“Whenever you feel like you have no idea what’s happening around you, just don’t think about it and let it happen on its own,” proclaimed the poster on the glass door, which I opened to step inside.

In front of me was a place full of people. I wandered aimlessly, wondering why I was there. I felt more introverted surrounded by people I didn’t know. Despite my discomfort, I noticed the people around me looking at me as if I were Peter Parker revealed as Spider-Man in *Spider-Man: No Way Home*. My eyes, however, were searching for someone, though I didn’t know whom.

It was a grand celebration. People were enjoying themselves, and colorful paper strips were raining down around me, confirming it was a celebration. Every introvert can relate to my discomfort. I searched my pockets for my phone but realized I had left it at home. “Jeeessusss,” I muttered to myself, hoping no one heard me in the large crowd. I didn’t ask anyone, “What’s the celebration for?” Suddenly, my mind seemed to stop working. I was shocked to see that everyone around me had frozen, as if time itself had stopped. The colorful paper strips also ceased falling, as if gravity had vanished. I felt my body turning to the left, my eyes focusing on one person—the only person moving. My legs carried me toward her.

She was a girl, staring at me as I approached. “Is she also an introvert like me?” I wondered, because she certainly seemed that way. It felt as though my heart was a magnet drawn irresistibly toward her. I cleared the floating paper strips and moved closer until our shoes touched. She looked up at me, her eyes widening with curiosity beneath her thick eyebrows. I realized we were the only ones who could move in that moment. Her gaze locked with mine, and it felt as if we had been in love for years. I felt the same way, as though meeting a long-lost loved one.

I gently pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and noticed her earrings—a cartoon character, Bomb from *The Angry Birds*. I wondered if they would “explode” if she got angry. She smiled warmly, and I could feel her melting in my presence. My hands instinctively cupped her cheeks, and our foreheads touched. Her arms wrapped around me, and I gazed at her lips, which were curved as if made for me to kiss, with a tiny mole below them. Her lips seemed to say, "Don't stop looking at me."

Our noses brushed together playfully, and I saw her cheeks turn pink with a blush. She leaned against my chest, hiding her smile. At that moment, I heard someone call my name. I didn’t want to pay much attention to the voice, still holding her close without making her feel uncomfortable. The voice grew louder, and it sounded familiar. “Josh, it’s time!” the voice called, echoing around the room. Then, an earthquake began, reminiscent of the one in the Hollywood movie *2012*. Everything turned dark. I was no longer there, and she was gone but not lost…